


Before the Storm

by RandyWrites



Series: AU: Magic Foster Family [2]
Category: Bombshells (Comics), DCU, Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-06-27 20:51:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15693156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandyWrites/pseuds/RandyWrites
Summary: A few key events and scenes, occurring none too soon before a fateful first mission for a young empath.(Does it count as a prequel if I publish these first?)A bit of set-up for the upcoming "Arkham Exorcism".





	1. Birthdays

Her ninth birthday had been a rousing success, all things considered. Zatanna had cut her tour a little short and made it just in time for most of the activities. And though they had kept the circle of friends and family small for the party, it had been more than enough to remind Raven just how many people truly cared about her.

More than a few members of Zatanna's _League_ had stopped by with well-wishes and gifts. Both Batgirl and Robin had managed to sneak in early and stay near the full duration of the party, before being called for patrol well before nightfall. Even Raven's Aunt Alice had managed to send a package from California, her family calling a mid-way through the party to ensure it's delivery and their wishes along with it.

Her other 'Aunt' Mazikeen had dropped by rather unexpectedly with a gift of her own, leaving Raven with mussed hair and a soft "Happy birthday, kid. Luci expects a visit soon". No appearance by the devil himself, which had both Zee and John breathing a sigh of relief.

After the last of the Leaguers had cleared out, Zatanna had brought out her own presents. Gifts collected over the course of her tour, and many personally selected items she knew Raven would love. Books and charms and crystals, everything mystical that positively enchanted the girl at this point in her training. It was a shame that they hadn't been able to pick it up.

And after indulging in all of the sorceress' gifts, John had finally brought out his own.

The girl tore into the wrapping paper, eyes aglow with curiosity for the final surprise that her dad had in store for her. It was something that had caught even Zatanna off-guard, and only kept Raven guessing as she struggled with tearing the tape off the unmarked box. The final obstacle between her and this last gift of his.

Constantine laughed as his daughter wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"It's… a costume?" she asked, pulling out the pieces of fabric and laying them carefully on the floor beside her. Ever methodical, they had found letting her set and sort things on her own was the best way to let her figure out whatever problem she faced. Even if the puzzle was something as simple as trying to understand a gift.

"But I already picked out my costume this year. I'm gonna be-"

"Oh, it's not for Hallow's Eve, luv," John clarified, helping her get out the equipment left in the box, and setting it alongside those couple different robes and other clothing. He had wanted to provide more than a few options, though she'd more than likely pretend not to love dressing up and choosing between all of them. There were small satchels for carrying different kinds of trinkets, empty vials and jars waiting to be filled with essential herbs and crystals, and of course, more than a few pocket journals and spell books for a young mage on-the-go.

"You're at that dangerous age where you've got that bit of wanting to save the world. 'Least we could do is start thinking of what your proper outfit ought to look like, eh?"

She broke into a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Does this mean-"

"I'll be taking you out on your first, _official_  investigation… Whenever the next one _happens_ to come along, that is."

Unsurprisingly to John, her small arms wrapped him in a hug as tight as she could bear to the chorus of "Thank you thank you thank you daddy!" And John couldn't stop himself from laughing. Her happiness always was quite infectious.

Though he could tell by the look on Zee's face that _she_ was less than convinced about this plan, he tried not to let the knot in his stomach linger too much at the thought it.

It was Raven's birthday, after all. It was a celebration of her milestones and what the future could bring. Definitely not a day for them to be sorting through their differences.


	2. Consultation

"This had better be pretty damned important, Bruce," Constantine sighed as he reached into his coat for his flask. It was late enough to warrant a drink, and _he_ wasn't going to be the one driving himself home after this, at any rate. He could stand to indulge a little in the simpler things in life. "Zee's only got the week off and then it's right back to her tour, you know. Don't want to miss out on _that_."

"I'll make this quick." The man didn't even bother turning to face his guest.

Which was awfully rude of him, considering _he_ was the one who asked John to visit him in his cave. At least he had paid for the cab fare.

But at this moment, the man was focused on bringing up images onto screens that towered above them. Just how he had managed to bring so much damned, obviously expensive equipment down into such a deep, musty cave was sometimes beyond John. How did he keep it from water damage, anyways? Or the bats that clearly loved to roost? (One of which John _swears_ nearly nipped his ear after Bruce's butler had left him on his own to stumble into the cave.)

"The renovations at Arkham Asylum have been met with some… resistance," he explained, interrupting John's train of thought. "The crew that was hired on believe that there is a… _supernatural_ entity preventing them from moving forward."

Most of the pictures were mundane. Images of construction, gutted rooms and exposed wiring and plumbing along walls and ceilings. Some, however, had distinct splatters of blood littering those same walls. Equipment that had been abandoned in what must have been a rush, were haphazardly placed or destroyed. More than a few other imperceptible details caught John's eye, shadows that one would usually want to ignore in the background, and glares and splotches that he knew didn't come from the odd angle of the screen he was staring at.

No bodies, though. No, there would have been some kind of report if there had been a _death_ at the Asylum. _Accidents_ were hardly news, especially in Gotham City.

"So you need someone to check if there's actually a ghost or some other giving them such a fright? Maybe scare it off, then?"

"Something like that."

John took another drink from the flask, shaking his head, "I'm not a damn cleaning service Batsy." He turned then to the Bat's tween sidekick. ' _But I might make this work out in my favor, yet_ ,' he thought idly.

The Boy Wonder was waiting patiently by the Batmobile for their impromptu meeting to end, so the duo could start their nightly patrol together.

"Hey, kid," that seemed to get the boy's attention easily enough, "How old were you when Brucie here let you have a go at it?"

Robin stole a glance to Batman for a moment's hesitation before shrugging. "Like, nine? I had to do a lot of training before some of the bigger stuff, but my first mission was around then, I guess."

"Well, wouldn't you know," John smiled, turning back to face the vigilante, "Raven's ninth was just days ago."

Though Batman's cowl was designed with a permanent grimace, Constantine now understood, for the briefest of seconds, why criminals feared the Bat. A full-fledged _Bat-glare_ was not something that was often earned in Bruce's own inner sanctum. John almost felt a twinge of pride at likely being one of the first few to get on Bruce's nerves in such a way. (And here he was, thinking being a family man was making him lose his edge!)

"I thought you and Zatanna had agreed to keep her _out of this_."

"Please Bruce, I don't need to hear it from you too," John turned away from him, making his way now from the screens and to where Robin was waiting for them. Anything to bring this to a close. "Zee and I are… working things out. But we always wanted Raven to jump into the deep end when she was old enough for it."

"Hmm, and the _incident_ three months ago-"

"Like I said," John smiled cheekily, "We're working things out." He turned to the boy as the Batmobile's hatch slid open for them. "Goes without saying that I get shotgun, I suppose?" The boy stuck his tongue out at him and John laughed, climbing in after.

"Hey Batman, Constantine never _really_ said he'd investigate Arkham for you."

"Very astute, Junior Detective, but you've got a lot to learn."

"Oh yeah? How so?" John smiled at the tone his voice took on. He didn't have to turn around to tell the boy must have been crossing his arms in frustration. It was something Raven had been picking up from him, as much as she would _never_ admit how she admired both of the Bat's sidekicks.

"It's all about what's said _between_ the words, kid. What's that saying us detectives use? _Reading between the lines_?"


	3. Focus

"You need to focus, Raven," the sorceress chided, watching as the girl's magic dissipated into the air once more and the cup clattered against the table. "Magic isn't just reading and incantations. You should've been putting in more practice than this."

"Well, the practice you make me do is _boring_ ," Raven said with a glare. Zatanna shook her head, ready to give a quip back, but stopped herself.

She steepled her hands in thought as Raven tried the wordless spell once more, a way to hone her telekinesis without relying on the use of chants for focusing or activating the power. Wordless magic was always something the magician, herself, had some difficulty with, but she knew that with the right push, Raven was destined to be a prodigy in it.

It was only a matter of unlocking that potential.

The plastic cup clattered against oak again, and again, and again. Raven's frustrations grew palpable until with a forceful _slap_ , the cup was flung off the table and hit the wall.

" _Raven_!"

"It's _impossible_! I _can't do it_!" the girl yelled, head in hands, hands in hair.

Hair on the verge of being _torn out_.

Zatanna sighed, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder as she breathed ragged breaths, trying to find her center as she let the anger roll through her.

"It's okay to feel frustrated. It's a difficult spell," Zatanna blushed in light embarrassment for a moment as she made a confession. "It's one that... I never quite got down, actually."

Raven's head turned up so fast, Zee worried for a second that she'd suffer from whiplash. "You don't know how to..."

The magician shook her head, taking the short walk to the end of the room to pick up the cheap cup. A souvenir from some shop in San Francisco, most of the Golden Gate had been rubbed off years ago, as well as the lettering, leaving an odd message of "Gre ng fr m Ci co". The sorceress turned it over and over in her hands, thinking over her next words carefully.

"Sometimes, when we focus too much on playing to our strengths, we let our weaknesses grow. And Raven, you derive so much strength from what so many people will tell you is weakness. You _act_ on your empathy. You _want_ to right what you perceive is _wrong_. And you _sit_ and _listen_ when others would jump without thinking." She set the cup back down in front of the girl then, sitting at eye level with her once more. "All you need now, is to take that running leap, and see what you're capable of. You're scared of losing control, but you can't let that fear hold you back from trying in the first place. Because the more you understand this strength of yours, the more you'll be able to use it to your benefit."

"But its not like... I can feel it as if-," she took a moment of thought. "It's like a floodgate. I can sense all of this power, but I don't know if I'll be able to stop it if I let it go, Mom." She hung her head, avoiding eye contact with Zee. "I don't think you could stop it either," she whispered.

It sent a chill up Zatanna's spine, hearing her belief in the truth of those words, and sensing the shift in the air as Raven did her best to only barely hold back the despair she felt. Zatanna steeled her nerves, and embraced her daughter.

She bit her lip, knowing exactly what the girl probably needed to hear, and simultaneously regretting having to even mention it.

"Then it's a good thing we've got Constantine too," she said, running a hand through the girl's hair and holding her tightly. "Give it one more try, now." She let go and lifted the girl's chin to face her. "We'll give it a break till he comes home after one more."

The young mage nodded solemnly, closing her eyes and taking a few short breaths before focusing once more on the cup.

Zatanna held her own breath as it silently levitated into the air, this time gaining altitude, even performing a few flourishing spins and flips before settling slowly and gently back onto the oak table.

"Now _there's_ some good ol' fashioned magic," Constantine chuckled lightly from behind them.

"Daddy!" Raven's eyes lit up at sight of him. "I made it move without saying the words! Did you see it? Mom said-"

"You're home early," Zee observed, just barely above Raven's excitement as she tried to lift the cup once more.

"Batsy gave me a ride," he admitted sheepishly, "And, uh, I've got some _good news_ and _bad news_ for us, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last little preview, since Arkham Exorcism is coming along pretty well... *side eyes that self-imposed October deadline*  
> sooooon...

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on "Arkham Exorcism" for months now, and have released a few snippets here and there on my tumblr. Finally decided to bring over some of these ficlets as things fall into place for my WIP and we get closer to dropping the fic.  
> Kudos, comments and criticism alike are appreciated.


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